The challenge.
myToys was one of Germany's largest online toy retailers – part of the OTTO Group, with decades of brand equity. But the product function was in trouble.
A multi-year re-platforming – migrating from a proprietary system to OTTO Group's shared infrastructure – was consuming engineering capacity and introducing real commercial risk. On top of that, there was no shared product vision and little discovery happening.
The team was talented but demoralised. The environment was constrained by OTTO Group dependencies, and complicated by external partners in an undefined collaboration model.
The solution.
The first move wasn't a roadmap. It was the team.
We rebuilt foundations: a strategic framework with a product vision and goals for each area of the business, socialised with the C-suite and business leaders to set a new ambition level. Discovery and user research were strengthened – and in parallel we developed a transition plan to protect revenues during re-platforming.
To prove what the new approach could deliver, we stood up a pilot Retail Media product team – resourced creatively, run lean, and focused on proving value fast.
'Start with the team. If the mindset is right, the product follows.'
Learning & impact.
The Retail Media pilot indicated a 3× revenue uplift. The product team transformed into a high-performing, tightly-bonded unit. Ambition levels rose, product culture strengthened.
Sadly OTTO Group had to close myToys entirely, owing to business challenges and the broader eCommerce climate.
Even the strongest product work doesn't guarantee survival. Market conditions, corporate strategy, portfolio decisions – these forces sit outside the team's control. What the team can control is how they work. And that changed completely.
The team.
A core product platform team that stepped up, a head of delivery and solution architect from the AKQA alumni network, and a transformation lead who carried the wider organisational change.
- Jessi, Mariah, Jean, Wei, Anja, Ajay, Hagen, ShrutiCore product platform team
- StefanoProduct Owner · pilot · coached
- Mario FürdererHead of Delivery · ex-AKQA
- Howard O'TooleSolution Architect · ex-AKQA
- Lena WiemannRe-platforming project lead
- Kevin De SilvaProduct-orientation transformation
The core product platform team was one of the best I have worked with. They really stepped up and helped to drive a new attitude into the organisation.
